Diabetes nurse educators' perceptions of leadership characteristics

Leadership is a core component of the diabetes educator (DE) role. This study determined the perceptions of leadership of 51 DEs nominated as leaders by their peers. Their views of leadership and details of their leadership activities were collected, along with standard demographic data, using a self-administered questionnaire. Respondents regarded themselves as leaders because they had worked as a DE for a long time, mentored colleagues, worked in a range of practice settings, attended conferences and professional development forums, were well known and had a high profile, were clinically competent, and undertook leadership roles in their workplace. However, these views of leadership were not consistent with the leadership characteristics described in the literature.